The Benue State Government has begun the resettlement of victims of the June 2025 Yelewata attacks, the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Deborah Aber, announced on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference in Makurdi, Aber, who also chairs the Technical Committee for Donations for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state, said the government had received N1.27 billion in donations from four donors to support victims of attacks across benue , not only those from Yelewata.
She listed the donors as Senator Oluremi Tinubu (N1 billion), the Nasarawa State Government (N150 million), the United Bank for Africa (N100 million), and the Director-General of the DSS (N25 million).
Aber said the committee had achieved over 85 per cent of its mandate in distributing the funds.
According to her, the funds were allocated across various sectors, including N56 million for cash transfers, N224 million for food and nutrition, N125 million for water, sanitation and hygiene, N56 million each for security and agriculture, N277 million for resettlement, N112 million for health, N16 million for peace and reconciliation, N127 million for host communities, and N148 million for education.
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Aber said the government had adopted a resettlement model that allowed IDPs to live near their farms in decent houses. “We have land earmarked for this purpose.
We had an engagement to construct 60 homes for the displaced population in Yelewata. Thirty-eight of the homes are at the roofing stage, with three already roofed,” she said.
She added that a mapping of beneficiaries had been conducted to ensure funds reached the intended recipients and that host communities were included in the process.
Aber also disclosed that 5,883 IDPs had been enrolled in the Benue State Health Insurance Agency with a premium of N10,000 per person to access medical care.
The committee has also provided water to affected communities and built four classrooms in Yelewata, along with providing textbooks and school bags for pupils.
She acknowledged support from international partners, noting that the UNHCR is constructing a world-class clinic in Yelewata.